Central Michigan University and MyMichigan Health released the first renderings of a new medical education facility in Saginaw that will consolidate most medical students and faculty into a single, purpose-built space beginning in fall 2028.
What the project is
The MyMichigan Health CMU Medical Education Building is planned as a nearly 90,000 square foot facility on the MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw campus at the intersection of Holden Street and South Franklin Street. The design intentionally echoes the mid-century modern look of the neighboring hospital and will use sustainable construction materials including wood, glass, brick and resilient metals.
Currently, the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at Central Michigan University operates across multiple sites: first- and second-year students attend classes on CMU’s Mount Pleasant campus, while many third- and fourth-year students complete clinical training in the Saginaw area. The new building will create a more unified physical home for the program alongside existing CMU locations, including the Stone Street Education Building and the CMU Health Women and Children’s Center.
Why university leaders say it matters
“Bringing the majority of our students, faculty and staff together in one geographic location will greatly strengthen medical education at CMU,”
said Joshua Nosanchuk, M.D., dean of the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at Central Michigan University. He added that longer-term, collaborative education improves opportunities for hands-on learning and mentorship and deepens students’ interactions with local health partners and the broader community.
The university emphasizes that co-locating students for a full four years is intended to foster sustained relationships with patients and community members, increasing continuity in experiential learning and community engagement.
Timeline, size and site at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening term | Fall 2028 |
| Size | Nearly 90,000 sq. ft. |
| Location | MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw campus (Holden St. & S. Franklin St.) |
| Materials cited | Wood, glass, brick, resilient metals |
Potential impacts and unanswered questions
- Educational continuity: Bringing students together for all four years may increase mentorship, hands-on opportunities and peer collaboration by reducing the split between Mount Pleasant and Saginaw-based training.
- Community relationships: The school frames the move as a chance for deeper, longitudinal engagement with Saginaw-area patients and health partners.
- Facilities and sustainability: Design choices emphasize a regional architectural aesthetic and the use of sustainable materials, but operational details and exact program spaces have not been disclosed.
For students, the shift raises practical questions about housing, travel and daily life in Saginaw versus Mount Pleasant; the university has not released comprehensive plans addressing student services, on-site clinical capacity or how existing CMU locations will be integrated functionally with the new facility.
As universities nationwide rethink how clinical training is organized, this project illustrates a broader trend: medical schools are investing in infrastructure that centralizes education close to clinical partners to strengthen experiential learning and community ties. How those design and location choices affect student experience, recruitment and retention in the region will be an important thing to watch as the building moves from rendering to reality.
Central Michigan University has positioned the MyMichigan Health CMU Medical Education Building as a campus anchor in Saginaw intended to serve both educational goals and community health partnerships when it opens in fall 2028.
